Friday Feels #32

Was something in the water this week? Were the planets bugging out again? Because, damn. At least we can close the chapter on January. It felt like three Mondays and a dumpster fire in a trenchcoat.

Ok, ok. It wasn’t all bad. This month, I published my book – yay! – and found a new therapist I like a lot – yay! – and made good progress with my planned edits. Also yay. Technically, this week, I can only claim the last thing as a real accomplishment. Oh well; you win some, you lose some weeks to anxiety spirals.

As you might suspect, this was not a good week on the cutting-out-doomscrolling front. I dread the inevitable notification about my weekly average screen time. I shall be chastised and chastened. But if at first you don’t succeed, try again … right?

To make things worse, this week was not a good reading week either. I had to DNF a book, and that was on the heels of another bad book experience. First, there was Nine Lives by Peter Swanson. Interesting blurb, good premise (another Agatha Christie And Then There Were None-inspired thriller, but if done well, a sub-genre I enjoy), decent writing. Things were fine … until I got to the last 10 or so pages and read the big “reveal” and the killer’s motivations … at which point I got a screaming urge to throw the book across the room. I didn’t, because it was a library borrow. But, ugh! Just dumb and maddeningly nonsensical.

But then! I started reading Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack and – oh, boy. I couldn’t make it two chapters. The narrator’s voice was like nails on a chalkboard, and every one of the characters introduced was instantly annoying to me. Apologies to anyone who’s read this book and loved it – it just wasn’t my cup of tea. And I was very disappointed, but I’d seen it recommended as a contemporary cozy mystery, which is a genre I’m trying to explore to expand my horizons (beyond classic/historical mysteries).

I finally had better thrift luck this week, at least. It’s been so lackluster lately, even my daughter begged off joining me this week. Which made me sad, but you have to pick your battles with teenagers. It was her loss (in more ways than one) because it ended up being a pretty productive visit. My best score was a mint condition, made in Switzerland (!) Ermenegildo Zegna for Neiman Marcus men’s blazer. The material – wool, camel hair, and silk – feels incredible. It’s too small for my husband, and a bit too big for me, and my son – who fits it perfectly – is, like, “meh” … but that doesn’t matter. I’m determined to make it work for me, as a kind of oversized coat thing.

Have a great weekend!